Pam Shriver facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Pam Shriver

Shriver at the 2023 US Open
Full name	Pamela Howard Shriver
Country (sports)	United States
Residence	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Born	(1962-07-04) July 4, 1962 (age 63) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Turned pro	1979
Retired	1997
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Coach	Don Candy
Prize money	$5,460,566
Int. Tennis HoF	2002 (member page)
Singles
Career record	625–270 (69.83%)
Career titles	21
Highest ranking	No. 3 (February 20, 1984)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	SF (1981, 1982, 1983)
French Open	3R (1983)
Wimbledon	SF (1981, 1987, 1988)
US Open	F (1978)
Doubles
Career record	622–122
Career titles	112
Highest ranking	No. 1 (March 18, 1985)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	W (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989)
French Open	W (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988)
Wimbledon	W (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986)
US Open	W (1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1991)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals	W (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986Nov, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991)
Olympic Games	Gold Medal (1988)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
French Open	W (1987)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	W (1986, 1989) Record: 19–1 (95%)
Medal record Representing  United States Tennis Olympic Games Gold 1988 Seoul Women's doubles Pan American Games Gold 1991 Havana Singles Gold 1991 Havana Women's doubles Gold 1991 Havana Mixed doubles

Pamela Howard Shriver (born July 4, 1962) is an American former professional tennis player. She is also a well-known tennis commentator and coach today. Pam was ranked as high as world No. 3 in singles. She was also the world No. 1 in doubles.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Shriver won 133 titles in her career. This includes 21 singles titles and 112 doubles titles. She won 22 major titles, mostly in women's doubles. She also earned an Olympic gold medal in women's doubles at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. She won this medal with her partner Zina Garrison.

Pam Shriver and her regular doubles partner Martina Navratilova made history in 1984. They were the only women's pair to win all four major doubles titles in one year. This amazing achievement is called a "Calendar Grand Slam."

Playing Tennis

Pam Shriver was known for her varied playing style. She was very good at hitting sharp volleys close to the net. She also had a strong slice forehand shot. This made her different from many other women players. She was also known for her "serve-and-volley" style. This means she would serve and then quickly run to the net.

Career Highlights

Shriver in 1994

Pam Shriver first became famous at the 1978 US Open. She was only 16 years old and still an amateur player. She reached the women's singles final. On her way to the final, she beat the reigning Wimbledon champion, Martina Navratilova. Pam then lost to Chris Evert in the final match. This was her best singles result at a major tournament. Shriver won her first singles title in 1978 in Columbus, Ohio. She went on to win 21 singles titles between 1978 and 1997.

The 1978 US Open final was her only Grand Slam singles final. She reached the semifinals eight other times but lost each of those matches.

In 2022, Pam Shriver spoke out about the importance of protecting young tennis players. She shared her own experiences to help make sure young athletes are safe.

Doubles Success

Pam Shriver had huge success in doubles with Martina Navratilova. They won 79 women's doubles titles together. Overall, Shriver won 112 career doubles titles. She is one of only six female players to win more than 100 career titles in the Open Era.

Navratilova and Shriver were one of the best women's doubles teams ever. They won seven Australian Open, five Wimbledon, four US Open, and four French Open titles. In 1984, they won all four major women's doubles titles. This is known as the "Calendar Grand Slam." They also had an incredible winning streak of 109 matches between 1983 and 1985. The WTA Tour named them "Doubles Team of the Year" for eight years in a row. They also won the WTA Tour Championships ten times.

Shriver won another Grand Slam women's doubles title at the US Open in 1991. Her partner was Natasha Zvereva. She also won the 1987 French Open mixed doubles title with Emilio Sánchez. In 1991, she won three gold medals at the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana, Cuba. She won in singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles. Shriver also won a gold medal at the 1988 Olympics with Zina Garrison.

Pam Shriver reached the world No. 1 doubles ranking in 1985. She held this top spot for a short time.

Team Tennis: Federation Cup

Pam Shriver played for the United States in the Fed Cup. She had a great record, winning 5 out of 5 singles matches. She also won 14 out of 15 doubles matches. She played in 17 Fed Cup events from 1986 to 1992. She helped her team reach three finals. They won twice, in 1986 and 1989.

Life After Playing

Broadcasting Career

After retiring from playing in 1996, Pam Shriver became a tennis commentator. She has worked for many TV networks. These include ABC, CBS, ESPN, and The Tennis Channel in the United States. She has also worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom and the Seven Network in Australia.

Equipment Used

Pam Shriver was one of the first tennis players to use an oversized racquet. This type of racquet was made by Prince.

Awards and Honors

• Throughout the 1980s, Pam Shriver was consistently ranked among the top 10 women's singles players in the world. Her highest ranking was No. 3.
• She was chosen to be the president of the WTA Tour Players Association from 1991 to 1994.
• She has also served as president of the USA Tennis Foundation. She was on the board of directors for the United States Tennis Association.
• In 2002, she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
• She received the Ambassador Award of Excellence in 2002.

Personal Life

Pamela Shriver was born in Baltimore, Maryland. She started playing tennis when she was three years old. She graduated from McDonogh School in Maryland. She is a part-owner of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team. She also supports many charitable organizations. Her first husband, Joe Shapiro, passed away in 1999 from a serious illness.

In 2002, Shriver married actor George Lazenby. They had their first child, George Samuel, in 2004. They then had twins, Kaitlin Elizabeth and Samuel Robert, in 2005. The family lived in Brentwood, California. Shriver and Lazenby divorced in 2011.

Pam Shriver has since reconnected with George Lazenby. He is now in assisted living in San Diego.

Pam has two sisters, Marion and Eleanor. Marion passed away from cancer in 1997. Eleanor lives in Maryland. Pam is also a distant cousin of Maria Shriver, who was the former First Lady of California.

Pam Shriver is an ambassador for Up2Us Sports. This group helps young people who need support. They provide coaches who teach positive life skills.

In 2021, Shriver became a supporter of the Women's Sports Policy Working Group. This group works on policies for sports, including those related to transgender female athletes.

Grand Slam Performance Timelines

Singles

Doubles

See also

In Spanish: Pam Shriver para niños